In the past, a multi-pole fusible link has been used to protect various electric components when an overcurrent flows between a battery and various electric components in an automobile or the like. More specifically, the multi-pole fusible link mainly includes an input terminal part to which a battery power supply or the like is connected, a busbar part in which a current input from the input terminal part flows, and a plurality of output terminal parts connected to the busbar part through fusible parts.
A housing is attached to the multi-pole fusible link to cover the busbar part and the fusible parts. This housing is made of an insulating resin or the like and electrically and physically protects the busbar part and the fusible parts to make it possible to use the multi-pole fusible link that is safely attached to a fuse box or the like.
Meanwhile, the fuse box to which a plurality of multi-pole fusible links of different types are attached is generally used, and predetermined multi-pole fusible links must be correctly fitted on predetermined places.
There are many different type of such multi-pole fusible links including those having fusible parts the resistances of which are changed depending on the magnitudes of overcurrents to be cut off and those having input terminal parts the shapes of which are changed depending on the magnitudes. However, the multi-pole fusible links having fusible parts changed in resistance and having input terminal parts changed in shape are similar to each other in entire shape, and a user is hard to visually differentiate the types of the multi-pole fusible links from each other. For this reason, the user is difficult to select a specific multi-pole fusible link from the plurality of multi-pole fusible links and to fit it on a predetermined place in a fuse box. As a result, the specific multi-pole fusible link may be fitted on a wrong place disadvantageously.
Thus, according to a conventional technique, marks set depending on the types of the multi-pole fusible links are printed on the housing to make it possible to easily differentiate the types of the multi-pole fusible links from each other so as to prevent the multi-pole fusible links from being fitted on erroneous places, or the shape of a housing itself is changed depending on the types of multi-pole fusible links to physically prevent the multi-pole fusible links from being fitted on erroneous places.
However, merely printing the marks on the housing cannot completely prevent the user from erroneously recognizing the marks and fitting the multi-pole fusible links on wrong places. Furthermore, when the user tries to change the shape of the housing itself depending on the types of the multi-pole fusible links, a new die or the like for molding the housing must be prepared, and manufacturing costs therefor increase disadvantageously.